Tracts left laying around... effective or just Christian litter?

Tracts have contact info on them so if someone gets saved they can contact the publisher.
 
Timothy said:
I always thought a mini-cd with an audio message would make a cool tract.
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There is a website called "Fire on the Altar" where they have mixes of Christian music with soundbites of revival preaching that are designed to be downloaded and used for audio tracts to be burned on CD's.
 
FSSL said:
I found a Chick tract laying on a table yesterday. This one is titled, "You have a date."

Anyone here ever come to Christ through finding one of these?
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Here are a couple names of guys I recall were saved after reading tracts.

George Whitefield

Hudson Taylor

I assume they were not the "chick" variety.
 
sword said:

Here are a couple names of guys I recall were saved after reading tracts.
George Whitefield
Hudson Taylor
I assume they were not the "chick" variety.

They definitely were not. Until relatively recently, a tract meant a published work of religious or political discourse, which might have ranged from a few pages to book length. Either way a tract was a lengthy work, not the sound bite on a bookmark we call a tract today.
 
Ransom said:
sword said:

Here are a couple names of guys I recall were saved after reading tracts.
George Whitefield
Hudson Taylor
I assume they were not the "chick" variety.

They definitely were not. Until relatively recently, a tract meant a published work of religious or political discourse, which might have ranged from a few pages to book length. Either way a tract was a lengthy work, not the sound bite on a bookmark we call a tract today.
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Then would you call the booklet "Good News for Modern Man" a tract, even though it was the entire Gospel of John?  Seriously, I don't know. 

 
Then would you call the booklet "Good News for Modern Man" a tract, even though it was the entire Gospel of John?  Seriously, I don't know.

I think I'd probably call it a "Gospel of John."  On the other hand, it's a short(ish) printed work of religious material, meant to be circulated as a means of persuasion, so I think it probably meets the definition of a tract.
 
Ransom said:
sword said:

Here are a couple names of guys I recall were saved after reading tracts.
George Whitefield
Hudson Taylor
I assume they were not the "chick" variety.

They definitely were not. Until relatively recently, a tract meant a published work of religious or political discourse, which might have ranged from a few pages to book length. Either way a tract was a lengthy work, not the sound bite on a bookmark we call a tract today.
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I believe this widely published Spurgeon tract "Salvation & Safety"was  4 small pages. I do agree the tracts in that day had more depth but how much gospel does it take if the holy spirit is already working with someone. Does it take 4 pages, 5, 10. How much gospel does it take to get saved.  :D



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admin said:
Anyone get saved through the message of a tract they found?
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Yes.  I was raised in Church of Christ and at the age of 12 it was nearing the time for me to get baptized to have my sins washed away in the baptismal waters at the church (that's what they taught.)  In a beautiful open shopping area, a person handed me a Chick tract entitled This Was Your Life.  I read it and wondered why the words on the back page said baptism should occur after salvation.  I re-read the tract a few times and realized that I had been mislead by my church.  The presentation of the word of God in the tract made it so clear to me that I was a helpless sinner.  I repented of my sins and received God's gift of eternal life. 

I wanted to grow in the Lord and left the C of C, but had no idea where to go.  Through out high school peri-church groups reached out to me, but I felt something was missing.  On vacation, I picked up a Chick tract in a rest area.  It was Bewitched and I read that tract numerous times.  I realized that there were real people in this world who thought the word of God was worthy to be presented to strangers life me.  That particular tract helped me discern that I was in the middle of spiritual warfare and I needed to quit being tossed to and fro and get armed for the battle.
 
sword said:

I believe this widely published Spurgeon tract "Salvation & Safety"was  4 small pages. I do agree the tracts in that day had more depth but how much gospel does it take if the holy spirit is already working with someone. Does it take 4 pages, 5, 10. How much gospel does it take to get saved.

No one has said a tract was necessarily a little pamphlet for evangelism.
 
JrChurch said:
I read it and wondered why the words on the back page said baptism should occur after salvation.  I re-read the tract a few times and realized that I had been mislead by my church.  The presentation of the word of God in the tract made it so clear to me that I was a helpless sinner.  I repented of my sins and received God's gift of eternal life.
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I am curious... do you view the Church of Christ people as unbelievers? Or, did you just come to the realization you had not even been saved in the first place?
 
JrChurch said:
admin said:
Anyone get saved through the message of a tract they found?
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Yes.  I was raised in Church of Christ and at the age of 12 it was nearing the time for me to get baptized to have my sins washed away in the baptismal waters at the church (that's what they taught.)  In a beautiful open shopping area, a person handed me a Chick tract entitled This Was Your Life.  I read it and wondered why the words on the back page said baptism should occur after salvation.  I re-read the tract a few times and realized that I had been mislead by my church.  The presentation of the word of God in the tract made it so clear to me that I was a helpless sinner.  I repented of my sins and received God's gift of eternal life. 

I wanted to grow in the Lord and left the C of C, but had no idea where to go.  Through out high school peri-church groups reached out to me, but I felt something was missing.  On vacation, I picked up a Chick tract in a rest area.  It was Bewitched and I read that tract numerous times.  I realized that there were real people in this world who thought the word of God was worthy to be presented to strangers life me.  That particular tract helped me discern that I was in the middle of spiritual warfare and I needed to quit being tossed to and fro and get armed for the battle.
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sweet testimony!!
 
After reading some of the posts here, I'm going to search for some appropriate tracts to use in our ministry. The short 'sound bitey' kind.....for this ADD generation.
 
Tarheel Baptist said:
After reading some of the posts here, I'm going to search for some appropriate tracts to use in our ministry. The short 'sound bitey' kind.....for this ADD generation.
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Can you write a tract on how to pass out tracts? :D
 
FSSL said:
Tarheel Baptist said:
After reading some of the posts here, I'm going to search for some appropriate tracts to use in our ministry. The short 'sound bitey' kind.....for this ADD generation.
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Can you write a tract on how to pass out tracts? :D
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You know, we could use "Christian graffiti" and call it "evandalism"!  :P
 
I am not against tracts. I believe there is still good use for a small pamphlet that introduces the gospel. Here is how I envision their proper use:

Example 1: Going to an Arabic festival in Dearborn, Michigan. It would be helpful to have a small tract that compares/contrasts true religion to Islam. I would not just pass it out without having a conversation with someone, first. I believe that handing someone a tract does not replace a conversation. These guys do a great work among the Muslim community. More often than not, they do engage people in conversation. Here is their youtube account: http://www.youtube.com/user/Acts17Apologetics?feature=watch

Example 2: Give a Gospel of John with commentary embedded to those whom you have witnessed. I know that the Gospel of John is a popular book to give to unbelievers, however, it has abstract analogies and a running commentary would help.

I have at least a 2 (make it 3) beefs against tracts:
1) Tracts that have a sensational story yet fails to communicate the gospel clearly.
2) Leaving tracts in bathrooms, in windshield wipers and scattered hither and thither. That is laziness and littering. Have you ever seen a Chick tract that has been left in a bathroom for a day? Disgusting.
3) Leaving a tract with, or without a tip. The first is laziness in not engaging the waitress in the gospel. The second is unethical and makes a mockery of Christianity.
 
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FSSL said:
Tarheel Baptist said:
After reading some of the posts here, I'm going to search for some appropriate tracts to use in our ministry. The short 'sound bitey' kind.....for this ADD generation.
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Can you write a tract on how to pass out tracts? :D
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To keep it pithy:
Remove tract from pocket or purse.
Lay tract on top of TP dispenser.
Flush, wash hands and go back into the restaurant, truck stop, train or bus station.  :)
 
FSSL said:
I am curious... do you view the Church of Christ people as unbelievers? Or, did you just come to the realization you had not even been saved in the first place?
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The Church of Christ I attended taught that baptism was the means of having your sins washed away.  I realized that was not the truth and that I was not saved. 
 
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